How To Take Accurate Floor
Measurements
As everyone knows, the first thing
homeowners should do when considering
making any decorative change to any
room is to measure it so that they know
what they have to work with and what
their limitations are.
Replacing the floor of a room is one of the tasks in
which measuring becomes absolutely crucial to the
completion of a high-quality job. The new flooring has
to completely cover the relevant surface area without
any visible joins for the most attractive effect, so it is
imperative that the right measurements are ascertained
before any flooring is purchased. However, many rooms
and areas can be complicated to measure accurately
for a number of reasons. This guide should help resolve
any confusion.
Measuring the area of a room
•
If a room is 4m wide and 5m long, therefore, the
surface carpet area to be bought will be 20m².
•
You can then work out how much your carpet
will cost, as they are usually assigned a price per
square metre purchased.
•
Use a tape measure and calculator to achieve
the most accurate results, though you will need a
partner to hold the other end of the tape measure.
•
Measure to the back of any doorframes leading in
or out of the room so that the carpet can be fitted
into the door.
•
The same technique can be applied to hallways
and landings.
5m
Area = 5 x 2m
Area = 10m2
2m
To calculate the area of a perfectly rectangular
or square room, you can simply use the (length)
multiplied by (width) formula to arrive at an
accurate answer.
4 cm
4 cm
•
Area =
4 x 4cm
Area = 16cm2
For help and advice visit www.floorsave.co.uk or call 020 3199 6272
Indentations and recesses
1.75m
2m
1.75m
5.5m
2.85m
Example:
1.75 + 2 + 1.75 = 5.5m
Unfortunately, not every room is going to be
completely rectangular – bay windows, fireplaces,
wall supports and other indentations or recesses can
distort the shape of the room, meaning that carpet
and other flooring materials must be cut to fit around
them. They should not affect the total area of carpet
to be bought, however: measure the lengths of the
unaffected wall areas and then the length of the
indentation or recess. Add them together and you
will have your total length.
If the room has a U-shaped end or a round recess,
this throws up certain complications in terms of
calculating the surface area, but they can be solved
without too many problems:
Measure the length and width through the middle
of the recess.
Divide the length in half and multiply that number
by the width.
Calculate the total by 3.14 (pi) and you have
the complete area of the circle.
However, only half of the circle extends past
the wall boundary, so divide the number in half
for the area to be covered.
You can then add that number to the other area
totals for the room.
Measuring the area of a staircase
Staircases look tricky to get right when you measure
them, but they are actually relatively simple. Simply
measure the lengths of the tread (the top of the step)
and riser (the front of the step) of the first step, and
then (assuming they are the same) multiply the figure
by the number of stairs to be covered, discounting the
top stair as it will be covered by the landing carpet.
Although the stairs may require a join or two, these can
be concealed at the point the tread and riser meet.
20cm
20cm
90cm
Example:
90 x 20cm = 1.8m2 (riser area)
90 x 20cm = 1.8m2 (tread area)
(Riser area + tread area) x number of stairs = staircase area
Winding stairs can be more difficult,
but remember to measure the widest
and longest parts of each stair for the
most accurate finding and they should
not present much of a challenge.
For help and advice visit www.floorsave.co.uk or call 020 3199 6272
Measuring a landing
Landings are generally difficult to put down new flooring
on because they tend to be shaped like a capital “L”.
This is not helpful if you are trying to avoid joins, which
take away from the attractiveness of an area when you
use several pieces of carpet rather than one. However, it
is possible to achieve a one-piece covering of the landing
and stairs when you know how much you can cut out.
Calculate the landing area in two or three sections and
then add them together to find the full area.
The landing carpet opposite the
staircase should always be long
enough to go over the top stair so
that it goes down to the base of
the first tread.
1m
6m
1m
2m
Example:
2m x 6m = 12m2
1m x 1m = 1m2
12 + 1 = 13m2 (Total landing area)
For help and advice visit www.floorsave.co.uk or call 020 3199 6272
Measuring for different flooring materials
Wood
Wood flooring is usually sold in packs divided into square
metres, so you will need to ensure that you know how many
packs have to be purchased for your room. If possible, ensure
that the grains on the different planks run in the same direction
to give the room a sense of coherence.
Divide your room area size in square metres by the number of
square metres of material in each pack to find out how many
packs you will need to buy.
Example: if a room is 20m² and each pack has 4m²
worth of material in it, you will need 5 packs because
20 ÷ 4 = 5.
Laminate
Laminate flooring is usually sold in packs divided into square
metres, so you will need to ensure that you know how many
packs have to be purchased for your room. If possible, ensure
that any grains or patterns on the different planks run in the
same direction to give the room a sense of coherence.
Divide your room area size in square metres by the number of
square metres of material in each pack to find out how many
packs you will need to buy.
Example: if a room is 20m² and each pack has 4m²
worth of material in it, you will need 5 packs because
20 ÷ 4 = 5.
Carpet
Carpet is usually sold in standardised rolls that are 2, 4 or 5m
wide, so if the area to be covered exceeds 5m in width then a
join will have to be created. However, the effect of the join can
be lessened by careful placement and ensuring that the roll
widths are the same. This ensures that colour shades remain
as close to each other (if not identical) as possible.
Any pattern should also run in the same direction – not only
is it aesthetically problematic if they do not, but light will also
reflect differently around the room.of material in it, you will
need 5 packs because 20 ÷ 4 = 5.
In addition, when you purchase any type of flooring material, it is worth adding
5-15% more than you need to the order. This will ensure that you are covered
against any small mistakes or complicated cutting you might have to deal with.
For help and advice visit www.floorsave.co.uk or call 020 3199 6272